at what cost?
by Burrito98
Summary: four teenagers arrive in a flash of light at the beginning of Harry's forth year. with seven books and shocking news. A reading the books fan fic
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello reader this is my first attempt at a reading the books fan fiction hope you enjoy it. The first half**_ _**of this chapter isn't mine nor**_ _**is any of the caricatures no copy right infringement meant. If you have anything to add please tell me and by the way this is not going to be a harry gets beaten story I think the Dursleys already did quite enough without having to beat him, plus J.K. Rolling did not write**_ _**it that way. I will not do much different to the couples but I will do things with people who aren't in a relationship if you like this story please tell and offer any advice if you don't like it don't read I don't really want to hear about it. Well**_ _**that's all and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.**_

Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. "About time," said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate.

Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."

"Hear, hear!" said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.

Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates.

"Aaah, 'at's be'er," said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato.

"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," said Nearly Headless Nick. "There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."

"Why? Wha' 'appened?" said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak.

"Peeves, of course," said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast - well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council - the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves.

"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," said Ron darkly.

"So what did he do in the kitchens?"

"Oh the usual," said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits—"

Clang.

Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.

"There are house-elves here?" she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. "Here at Hogwarts?"

"Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."

"I've never seen one!" said Hermione.

"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" said Nearly Headless Nick. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning… see to the fires and so on… I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"

Hermione stared at him.

"But they get paid?" she said. "They get holidays, don't they? And - and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?"

Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck.

"Sick leave and pensions?" he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"

Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her.

"Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. "Oops — sorry, 'Arry —" He swallowed. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!"

"Slave labor," said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. "That's what made this dinner. Slave labor."

And she refused to eat another bite.

The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings.

"Treacle tart, Hermione!" said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. "Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!"

But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up.

When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered," ("Humph!" said Hermione) "I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

"Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," said Ron in a low, awed voice.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered. "What happened to his face?"

"Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.

Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it.

As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this- but was abruptly cut off when there was a flash of light and four teenagers suddenly appeared on the Slytherin table. One of witch's feet landed in Malfoys mash potatoes.

"Oh sorry" said the girl. Then looked up at the face "Scorp!" she yelled throwing her arms around him. "I thought your dad said you couldn't come with us! It's just like you to get around that kind of thing, but how did you get here?" She exclaimed.

"Umm who are you?" He said trying to sneer but looked so shocked that this girl was hugging him it didn't quite work.

"Lil's I don't think that's Scorp he looks a little shorter bedsides he's wherein Slytherin robe's, most likely it's his dad I heard the looked a lot alike" said the boy behind her.

"Oh" was all she could mange then quickly let go looking extremely red. "Right back to business" She said walking up to Dumbledore. "I'm Lily Luna Potter and there's three are my brothers and god-brother where from the future and would like to change a few things because there was a lot of death that could be avoided if people knew the truth," she said with a confident smile.

"Well I don't see why not how is it that you plan on telling us are you going to show us memory's, or tell us yourself?" asked Dumbledore as though people were always popping up and saying they were from the future.

"Well we took Dads memory's as well as a few others and used a spell to turn them into a book" said Lily smiling she had expected to have to explain more, but then again this was Dumbledore sense when had he ever done what she expected?

"So let me get this straight you're my kids and god-son?" asked Harry looking shocked.

"Yep" said Lily smiling at her father.

"So who's your mother?" asked Harry.

"Well-" one of the boys started but Lily stumped on his foot.

"Shut up James we don't want to ruin the surprise in the book now do we?" said Lily smirking at the look on her dads face, then turn back to Dumbledore "So would you go and fetch these people for us?" she said handing him a piece of paper, it was quite clear she wasn't asking.

Dumbledore stood up at once and left the hall. Everyone started talking at once wondering what they were going to read in the books and whose lives they were trying to save. Over at the Gryffindor table Ron, Harry, and Hermione put their heads together.

"I wonder when these books are going to start," said Harry hoping it was after he had started Hogwarts he didn't think he could bare it if anyone found out about the cupboard

"It starts about a couple of weeks before you get the letter" James said from behind them making Harry jump.

"Actually it starts the night grandma and grandpa died." Lily corrected.

"Have already read these books?" Harry asked.

"No but I did skim the chapters and I know enough about your past to know, well sort of know, what was going on bedside's I had to get your uncle to give me a memory which wasn't easy mind you and look through all of the memory vial's of Dumbledore, I don't think he keep any in his head Lily grumbled.

"Wait, Dumbledore's dead!" Harry said (far louder then he meant to) in shock. Everyone in the room swirled around in their seats to stare at them.

"Oh, come on, Dad this is over 25 years in the future and Dumbledore isn't all that young" said Lily quickly trying to cover up her mistake, and to her great relief everyone bought it.

Just then Dumbledore walked in with six people and a large black dog…


	2. Chapter 2

Harry gaped at the people that had just walked in Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus Lupin, some girl with bright pink hair, and Petunia and Dudley Dursley both of whom were shaking in fright. "Why are they here?" he said pointing at the Dursley's.

"You make up with them when your eighteen well with your aunt and cousin your uncle never did come around. Actually," Lily said to Harry in a whisper "about two years later Dudley married a witch, he and his father haven't spoken since." This was so shocking to Harry that he just let his mouth hang open looking at her like she had just told him he was going to teach a rhinoceros how to jump rope.

"Bu- but he hates magic" he said mystified.

"Only because the first contact of magic he had other then you gave him a pigs tail and the second made his tong swell up to be over four feet long. Lily said smiling.

Remus walked over to them with Sirius trotting at his ankles."Hey Harry how have you been holding up?" Lupin greeted him grinning.

"Goo- ump" Sirius had just knocked him off his chair and was now licked his face. "Snuffles!" he complained.

Malfoy roared with laughter "You named your dog Snuffles?"

Harry was about to retort but Lily beat him to it. "Just because I'm dating your son doesn't mean I won't curse you!" Lily threatened, Malfoy looked shocked as did Harry.

"A Malfoy would never date a blood traitor like you!" Malfoy screamed at the same time as Harry "I would most certainly not let my daughter date a Malfoy"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't worry neither of you let us date peacefully" she said "but I got dad here convinced in the end when I told him how he saved Al in their first year from a flesh-eating squirrel." She said smirking at the look of shock on her father's face.

"Well how did you convince me?" Malfoy asked confused. "Oh I didn't convince you, my mom did, she marched up to your house and said that if you didn't let us date she would put the bat-bogy hex on you again. Plus you owed dad anyway so that could be your repayment. Well you weren't too happy about it but you're really scared of mom. Anyway can we read already?" she said ignoring all the looks she was getting, she was used to being stared at being the daughter of Harry Potter and all.

"I don't see why not, professor McGonagall would you like to start?" said Dumbledore pleasantly.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. **

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. **

Petunia sniffed at her description but didn't comment.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. **

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. **

"There is nothing wrong with the Potters" said Lupin and Sirius growled in agreement at his feet.

"Do you want a list" said Malfoy.

"Only if you want to get cursed." Teddy growled (He was always sensitive to anything concerning the Potters they were like family to him) the tips of his blonde hair going red.

"How did you do that?" asked Harry while the Dursley's coward in fear at the oddness.

"I'm a metamorphosis, the ability to change ones appearance at will." he added seeing the confused look on his godfather's face.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,**

"I used to pretend I didn't have a sister but Teddy tattled on me." said James frowning "I got grounded for two weeks"

**because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish** **as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.**

"I would love to see the looks on their faces," Harry exclaimed with relish, "just think if they didn't change out of there wizard robe's!" making the whole hall burst out laughing except a few purebloods who didn't understand.

**The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"You know that is actually reasonable seeing all the trouble we get into." laughed Ron.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. **

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. **

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"Food fight!" yelled one of the twin's grinning slamming treacle pudding into Harry's face. Harry looked shocked for all of a second then picked up some kind of custard and dumped it on Ron who was sitting next to him. Then all hell broke loose and pudding pie and any other desert you can think of went flying. Only Dumbledore was spared, not that he didn't join in but everyone was two afraid of what would happen if they threw any at him, which he found hilarious.

Lily seemed to notice this for she got a huge grin on her face and picked up a sweat potato pie and snuck around behind the teachers table. Everyone was too preoccupied to notice one small girl. _Spat, _everyone looked up in shock there was orange gunk all over his face and beard and the crust looked kind of like a hat perched on his head. The hall was deadly silent then to everyone's surprise Dumbledore started chuckling and soon he was in a fit of giggles. Everyone just stared at him like he was insane.

"You have got manger guts young lady." he said still giggling. "I've seen around fifty food fights in my time and no one has every thrown food at me, even as a student." he added as an afterthought. The grinning broadly he said "This means war!"

Lily gave him a calculating look, then grinned and challenged. "Bring it!" with a wave of his wand all the food disappeared and everyone was clean again.

"Shall we continue?" said Dumbledore chuckling

"**Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursleys as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. **

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map. **

"I wonder if that's Aunt Minnie?" said Lily smiling.

"Who?" Said Harry quickly maybe this Minnie person could be used to figuer out who he was marrying.

As if reading his mind Lily said "She's not really our Aunt we just call her that."

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive — no, **_**looking **_**at the sign; cats couldn't read maps **_**or **_**signs. **

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. **

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. **

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

**Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt —these people were obviously collecting for something… yes, that would be it. **

"I thought your Uncle knew about wizards?" said a third year Griffindor.

"I try not to mention magic in front of him it just makes him angry." said Petunia. "I didn't really go into what they wore and stuff when I told him about my sister."

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. **

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. **_**He **_**didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

"Wow that's one set of lungs" Al muttered.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs **

"What did I hear you correctly?" Harry wondered pretending to clean out his ear.

"Yes Mr. Potter you did." McGonagall answered trying not to grin with everyone else.

**and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. **

"The world makes sense again!" yelled Harry.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. **

"Or maybe you ate too many buns." yelled George.

**This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying. **

"Now now it's not nice to eavesdrop" said Lily wagging her finger.

"**The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard —" **

"— **yes, their son, Harry —" **

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. **

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. **

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone,**

**and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking… no, he was being stupid.**

"That's a first." Harry chortled.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew **_**was **_**called Harry.**

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. **

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if **_**he'd **_**had a sister like that… **

"Well your sister was a different kind of witch.." Harry muttered making Hermonie smack him upside the back of the head trying not to giggle, and failing miserably.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks… **

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door. **

"**Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being ****almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! **

Those who had not realized what was going on gasped.

**Even Muggles, like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" **

"I wonder if he knew it had been a wizard?" Harry asked.

"Well if he did, he didn't tell me all he said was that there where funny people in town that day." Aunt Petunia groused, pursing her lips.

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination. **

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. **

**It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes. **

"Yep that's so Aunt Minnie" said Al smiling. "I don't know it sounds like McGonagall to me" said Fred. The four of them looked at each other then Lily smiled and said. "Well if it's not Aunt Minnie I'll give you a galleon, if it is you have to pay me deal? The kids from the future tried not to laugh but it kind of made them look constipated.

"**Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. **

"Ha you might as well give it to us now." persuaded Fred smugly. "Oh I don't know Aunt Minnie has a similar look." Lily giggled.

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. **

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!"). **

"You must be so proud." Mrs. Weasley mocked sarcastically. Though Mrs. Dursley completely missed that fact and nodded smiling, Dudley bared his face in his hands at his mother's stupidity.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: **

"_**And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?" **_

"_**Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell **__**me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." **_

"You know it didn't rain that night either." Flitwick chuckled.

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Err — Petunia, dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister. **

"**No," she said sharply. "Why?" **

"**Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…" **

"_**So?**_**" snapped Mrs. Dursley. **

"**Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with… you know… **_**her **_**crowd." **

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare.**

"I can't believe he didn't tell me." she whispered angrily.

**Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?" **

"**I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly. **

"**What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?" **

"**Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"I don't think anyone did thank you." growled Lupin glaring

"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." **

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. **

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn't think he could bear it. **

"That's so touching I feel the same about you" said Lily glaring at the book.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters **_**were **_**involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect **_**them**_…

Harry snorted at this.

**How very wrong he was. **

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. **

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. **

A cheer went through the hall and Dumbledore stood up and bowed.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

"Oh I did I find going places were I'm unwelcome is quit enjoyable" said Dumbledore smiling.

"Yeah I know" said Malfoy louder then he meant to. "You don't want to know" he said to the people looking at him.

"But it's one of my favorite story's" said Dumbledore grinning. "I was board one evening so I decided to drop by Malfoy manner to see dear old Lucy and-"

Malfoy cut him off. "I don't see how this pertains to the story so why don't we move on?"

McGonagall nodded she had heard the story thousands of times and no matter how funny it was it was getting old, plus she wanted to finish reading.

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

**He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. **

"**Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." **

"Ha hand over the galleon" said the twin's together hands outstretched.

"Ah but it's you who owes us a galleon because our Aunt Minnie is professor McGonagall." Lily said grinning.

"But we bet on it being her so no one gets money" said George.

"Ah but that's not what I said" Lily grinned then pointed her wand at her temple pulling out a silvery substance before they could open there mouths, then muttering something under her breath waved it through the air make what looked kind of like a TV screen.

Lily face flashed up and she said _"Well if it's not Aunt Minnie I'll give you galleons if it is you have to pay me deal?"_

"So there you owe me a galleon" she said her hand outstretched.

"Hey Harry" said Fred grinning.

"What?" Harry asked wearily.

"Can we borrow a galleon?" George asked pretending his innocence grinning.

Harry sighed then handed five galleons to Fred and another five to George then handed one more to Lily. "There that is your betting money if you still have any after the book are over give it back if not you can pay me back by not play any pranks on me, Ron, or Hermione for the rest of the month got it?" They looked at each other grinning then back at Harry nodding.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked. **

"**My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." **

"**You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall. **

"**All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." **

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. **

"**Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." **

**She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls… shooting stars… Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense." **

"Actually, that was us." said Mrs. Weasley smiling.

"**You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years." **

"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors." **

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he ****really **_**has **_**gone, Dumbledore?" **

"**It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. **

"**We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

"**A **_**what**_**?" **

"**A lemon drop." They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of." **

"Would anyone want one?" Dumbledore asked pulling out a full bag.

"Yes please" said Al grinning he loved lemon drops, his father always found it amusing, and he couldn't help but smile as he thought 'well I guess I know why now." After watching Al eat one Dudley went up hesitantly he hadn't forgotten the Ton-Tongue Toffees.

"**No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who **_**has **_**gone —" **

"**My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: **_**Voldemort**_**."**

Nearly everyone in the room flinched and Moody boomed "by fearing the name you're only giving him more power!"

Lily slammed a hand to her forehead "I knew I forgot something" she said then pulled out her wand and tied him to his chair, then glaring at Moody simply stating "That's not the real Moody that an imposter! Just wait about an hour for the polyjuice to wear off."

Everyone was starring open mouthed at her. "What?" she wondered shaking her head. "Could you keep an eye on him?" she said to Dumbledore. "Its unbreakable rope but I'm not the best at the spell and I don't want to take any chances." She then looked pointedly at McGonagall to start reading before all the questions.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unstitching two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's **flinch **name." "I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one you-Know- oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_**, **flinch **was frightened of." **

"**You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have." **

"**Only because you're too — well —**_**noble **_**to use them." **

"**It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." **

Madam Pomfry blushed while comments like "I always thought they were a item," and "So that how old people flirt, pathetic." went around the room

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the **_**rumors **_**that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" **

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. **

"**What they're **_**saying**_**," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. **

Petunia stiffened as did Remus, Snuffles, Harry and most of all Snape which only Petunia saw as everyone was looking at Harry with sympathetic. He really did love her she thought holding back a sigh now that she saw what kind of person he became she wondered if she had been nicer to him, if he would have treated her better and maybe he would look happier now but quickly shook that thought away she shouldn't feel sorry for that creep.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're — **_**dead**_**." **

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. **

"**Lily and James… I can't believe it… I didn't want to believe it… Oh, Albus…" she shuddered. "I know… I know…" he said heavily. **

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. **

**But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone." **

"You did that when you were a baby?" Dudley wondered aloud shocked. Harry nodded not trusting himself to speak.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly. **

"**It's — it's **_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"**We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know." **

"Bull-" Harry started but Hermione shoved her hand over his mouth glaring. Yanking her hand off him continued. "You know you just won't tell anyone, you only gave me part of the answer my first year" Dumbledore opened his mouth but this time it was Lily who cut him off.

"You know he's right if I didn't know better I'd think you enjoy keeping things from him! He's going to find out in the books anyway you might want to tell him so it won't come as such a shock" everyone looked confused except the people from the future and Dumbledore.

"But my theory was incorrect he's alive and has kids so I was wrong he can't be a, I mean" The old headmaster trailed off. Lily simply shook her head in disgust then looked to McGonagall to continue.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?" **

"**Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why **_**you're here, of all places?" **

"**I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now." **

"Why didn't you leave me with Remus?" Inquired Harry sadly.

Lupin stiffened, "I'm not fit to be around children with my wolf instincts I have a nasty temper and you would have to leave once a month for the rest of your life plus I'm not married so it wouldn't have been the best option" he whispered.

"What do you mean wolf instincts?" Asked Dudley.

"I'm a werewolf" Remus stated making Dudley fall off his chair and petunia and all the first years to gasp.

"W-werewolf?" Dudley stuttered from the floor not bothering to get up. Harry rolled his eyes and nodded before gesturing for her to continue.

"**You don't mean – you **_**can't **_**mean the people who live **_**here**_**?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and lives here!" **

"**It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter." **

"**A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?**

**These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!" **

"**Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?" **

"Or be an unpopular muggle to famous wizard in less than a day" Harry pointed out in a fake cheerful voice.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. **

"**Hagrid's bringing him." **

"**You think it —**_**wise **_— **to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I'd trust Hagrid with my life." Harry and Lily piped up together glaring at McGonagall, making her laugh. "What!" they pondered together. She just shook her head and continued.

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore. **

This caused the whole hall to laugh, Hagrid to blush and Lily to crinkle her nose. "I said the same thing as Dumbledork," she mumbled

"**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?" **

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. **

Snuffles barked happily at the mention of his bike.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild **_— **long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**.

"You were a very cute baby." Professor McGonagall cooed making Harry turn bright red.

"Why thank you!" said James grinning

"Why would you say thank you for me saying your dad was a cute baby?" asked McGonagall.

"Everyone says I look just like him so you where complementing me in a way, plus dads to embarrassed to say it." said James grinning.

"**Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" **

"**Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

"**No problems, were there?" **

"**No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"**Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall. **

"**Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever." **

"**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" **

At this Harry looked up hopefully but Dumbledore shook his head.

"**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with." **

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. **

"**Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog. **

"**Shh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!" **

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it —Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry offer live with Muggles —" **

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out ****of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. **

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations." **

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir." **

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. **

"**I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. **

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. **

"You left him on the front steps!" yelled everyone one in the hall.

"He didn't want to give us a chance to turn him down." Petunia explained looking down knowing that the probably never would have let him in the house if she had a chance but she never let Vernon kick him onto the streets Lily would have looked after her son but maybe he would have been better off in a orphanage maybe he would have been adopted and loved. But Lily had put a spell on him so she keep him but that was as far as her love for Lily would allow.

"**Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. **

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley… He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"**

"Well who would like to read next? McGonagall asked.

"I will" Snape answered finally everyone would see that Potter was just a spoiled brat who was famous because of Lily, beautiful Lily had given up her life to save him.


End file.
